Baseball Prospectus 1996
All this disguises one fact: the Marlins, not the Rockies, are the model that all expansion teams in the future should follow. Florida's blueprint for building a successful franchise from scratch has been nearly without fault, and while they have not had the mile-high attendance levels and home-field advantage that the Rockies have enjoyed over the last three years, the Marlins look to be the more successful team in the long run.
First, an instructive look at last season, when the Rockies supposedly ran circles around the Fish. The Marlins finished at 67-76, 9 1/2 games behind Colorado, despite:
What's more relevant for the future, though, is that based on the amount of runs each team scored and allowed, the Rockies overachieved and the Marlins underachieved last year and that is a trend which is unlikely to continue. Last season, the Marlins scored 673 runs and allowed the same number, 673. In Colorado, the Rockies used their high-octane ballpark to score 785 runs but also allowed 783. Think about that for a moment. The Rockies scored 112 runs more than Florida, and allowed 110 more, yet finished with a 77-67 record and a wild-card spot.
This bodes well for the Marlins' future, because sabermetric studies show that when a team's won-loss record is significantly worse than what would be expected from their run differential (i.e., a team that was "unlucky"), that team will tend to improve on their record the next year, as their "luck" evens out. And the converse is true, which should make fans in Denver a little more nervous about their chances in 1996.
But you have to look beyond the 1995 season to see the entire picture in Florida. The philosophy of the organization has been on solid ground since day one. The entire front office, headed by GM Dave Dombrowski, has had an exceptional track record of developing and acquiring talented players a track record begun in the 1980s in Montreal, from where most of the front office left en masse to join the Marlins in 1992. The Marlins did an excellent job in the Expansion Draft; despite flubbing with their first pick by selecting the forgettable Nigel Wilson, they picked up far more good young talent than the Rockies did.
Their second and fourth picks, Jose Martinez and Trevor Hoffman, were so prized by other teams that the Marlins were able to trade the two of them for Gary Sheffield the following summer. Sheffield is easily the best player ever to play for a first-year expansion team; only Rusty Staub (with the 1969 Expos) comes close. The Marlins made a number of other great picks. With their fifth pick, they acquired Pat Rapp, who has been their best starter over the last three years. They took Bryan Harvey, who was possibly the best closer in baseball in 1993, with their tenth pick, although they made a rare mistake by not trading him for a pile of prospects. And with their 11th pick the Marlins picked up the steal of the draft when they selected Jeff Conine.
Even more impressive than the players the Marlins drafted, though, were the players they were able to trade some of their draft picks for. The Sheffield trade was just one of many trades the Marlins made with an eye towards building a team that could dominate the NL in the late 90s. The Marlins used one of their selections, Cris Carpenter, to fetch a pair of prospects from the pitching-desperate Rangers in the summer of 1993. For two months of Carpenter, the Rangers gave Florida Robb Nen, who has been a very good closer for the last two years, and prized right-hander Kurt Miller. In a pre-arranged deal, the Marlins sent draftee Danny Jackson to Philadelphia for a pair of pitching prospects, Joel Adamson and Matt Whisenant. And, in a pair of separate deals, the Marlins sent first Eric Helfand and later Kerwin Moore to Oakland for a pair of shortstops, Walt Weiss and Kurt Abbott.
The Marlins continued this policy of making key pickups via trade into 1995. Last offseason, they traded Carl Everett to the Mets for Quilvio Veras, who was a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate last year; then, to make room for Veras, they traded incumbent second baseman Bret Barberie to Baltimore for Jay Powell, who is now Florida's top relief prospect.
The trademark of the Marlins, however, seems to be their nose for picking up neglected pitchers for almost nothing. Just scan the names of some of the men who pitched for Florida last year: Terry Mathews, Randy Veres, and Mark Gardner were free-agent pickups who didn't elicit a ripple of interest from other teams; Matt Mantei was a Rule V pickup; Willie Banks was a castoff from the Cubs and Dodgers who pitched well for the Marlins the second half of the season. Meanwhile, the Marlins have been hoarding quality arms in the minor leagues. Last year, they traded Bobby Witt to Texas, where they can never get rid of too many prospects, and got Wilson Heredia in return. And in perhaps their defining moment, the Marlins picked up Alejandro Pena off waivers from Boston in mid-season and a month later, after Pena found his old form, they sent him on his way to Atlanta in return for Chris Seelbach, who immediately became Florida's best pitching prospect.
All of these shrewd pickups have been rendered almost irrelevant by the Marlins' impressive shopping spree this off-season. Give the Marlins' credit: they exercised caution on the free-agent market during their first three years in the league, but once it became apparent they could make a run for the playoffs in 1996, Wayne Huizenga opened his pockets and Dombrowski lassoed in Devon White, Al Leiter, and Kevin Brown.
White fills the Marlins' biggest hole on offense; their centerfielders last year were absolutely brutal. White is getting old and doesn't get on base nearly enough, but he's a much better player than Chuck Carr, and he's an absolute wizard on defense especially important given that Conine and Sheffield flank him in the outfield. The Marlins wisely left the rest of their offense, which ranked fifth in the NL in runs scored, untouched.
Leiter is 30 years old and has suffered from injury and control problems his entire career; nevertheless, he posted a 3.64 ERA with Toronto last year and won't be asked to be anything more than a #4 starter with the Marlins. And Brown is a terrific pickup for Florida, as he is more than able to take over the job as staff ace, allowing Rapp, Chris Hammond, and John Burkett to drop a rung in the Marlins' rotation.
Less than three years after they first took the field, the Marlins have one of the deepest rotations in baseball, a potent offense which has productive players at every position, and a bullpen teeming with young arms. In addition, the Marlins are stacked with prospects in the minor leagues, with phenoms like Edgar Renteria, Ralph Milliard, and Billy McMillon almost ready for the majors, and an aggressive drafting philosophy that helped the Marlins sign high school standouts Josh Booty and Jaime Jones, among others. While the rest of the National League may not be ready to accept it, the Marlins have built a team that can run with the big boys today. A winning season is almost a guarantee; 90 wins is not unlikely. The rest of baseball better start taking notes, because the Florida Marlins are poised to make the playoffs this year, and have everything in place to battle the Braves for dominance of the NL East for the rest of the decade.
KURT ABBOTT 1969 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MOD 218 45 5 1 2 17 3 1 .206 .264 .266 .183 40 12 1991 HUN 188 45 3 1 1 12 5 2 .239 .285 .282 .203 38 13 1992 HUN 459 112 11 3 8 28 13 3 .244 .287 .333 .223 102 41 1992 TAC 39 6 0 0 0 3 1 0 .154 .214 .154 .079 3 0 1993 TAC 466 130 23 4 10 25 15 7 .279 .316 .410 .256 119 57 1993 OAK 61 16 1 0 3 3 2 0 .262 .297 .426 .258 16 8 1994 FLA 340 82 14 3 7 16 3 0 .241 .275 .362 .225 76 31 1995 FLA 420 110 16 6 16 36 4 3 .262 .320 .443 .264 111 56 1996 PRJ 602 175 22 4 26 28 5 4 .291 .322 .470 .274 165 85He doesn't get on base much, and his defense isn't pretty, but you have to respect Abbott's power. He turns 27 in June, and a .275 average and 20 homers isn't out of his reach. He needs to have a good season, because the Marlins are already thinking about giving his job to Edgar Renteria someday soon.
ALEX ARIAS 1968 IF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CHR 499 127 14 1 6 35 16 6 .255 .303 .323 .226 113 46 1992 IOW 408 109 17 2 4 39 13 3 .267 .331 .348 .247 101 46 1992 CHC 101 32 4 0 1 12 0 0 .317 .389 .386 .280 28 14 1993 FLA 249 66 3 1 2 27 1 1 .265 .337 .309 .232 58 24 1994 FLA 111 26 3 0 0 9 0 1 .234 .292 .261 .190 21 7 1995 FLA 216 60 8 2 2 22 1 0 .278 .345 .361 .253 55 25 1996 PRJ 198 52 9 1 2 17 6 2 .263 .321 .348 .242 48 21A useful backup, because he can play all the infield positions and isn't a terrible offensive player. National League teams need backups that have a variety of skills, and the ability to back up Pendleton, Abbott, and Veras makes Arias a useful member of the Marlins' bench.
ROD BREWER 1966 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LOU 386 85 13 1 8 26 4 0 .220 .269 .321 .208 80 30 1992 LOU 423 119 14 1 15 44 1 2 .281 .349 .426 .271 114 58 1992 STL 105 34 4 0 1 9 0 1 .324 .377 .390 .273 29 14 1993 STL 149 44 7 0 2 17 1 0 .295 .367 .383 .270 40 20 1995 CHR 236 71 10 1 7 30 0 0 .301 .380 .441 .289 68 37 1995 PHX 44 9 2 0 1 3 1 1 .205 .255 .318 .196 9 3Not a bad hitter, but first basemen who don't hit for power are not in high demand by major league ballclubs. He's 30 years old, but he had a good year, and the Marlins could use some left-handed sticks on the bench to complement a starting lineup that's composed of three switch-hitters (White, Veras, and Pendleton) and five right-handers.
JERRY BROWNE 1966 2B/OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CLE 292 72 4 2 1 27 3 4 .247 .310 .284 .210 61 23 1992 OAK 327 100 12 3 3 39 4 3 .306 .380 .388 .275 90 46 1993 OAK 261 70 6 1 3 21 5 0 .268 .323 .333 .239 62 27 1994 FLA 322 92 14 3 2 51 3 0 .286 .383 .366 .272 88 44 1995 FLA 184 48 2 0 1 25 1 1 .261 .349 .288 .231 42 18 1996 PRJ 302 84 14 2 3 42 2 2 .278 .366 .368 .263 79 39Rene Lachemann has done a pretty good job of assembling a bench. Browne does many of the same things Arias does; Arias is better defensively, but Browne switch-hits and gets on base more. Signed with the Mets.
NICK CAPRA 1958 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 OKL 488 125 27 2 5 73 26 9 .256 .353 .350 .257 125 62 1992 NAS 287 63 9 1 4 46 30 8 .220 .327 .300 .239 69 32 1992 SWB 56 14 2 0 1 9 3 2 .250 .354 .339 .249 14 7 1993 EDM 373 80 10 1 5 46 14 8 .214 .301 .287 .210 78 30 1994 EDM 365 91 14 2 5 35 23 8 .249 .315 .340 .240 87 40 1995 CHR 407 94 10 1 7 49 20 8 .231 .314 .312 .228 93 40He made his major league debut in 1982, and over the last 14 seasons has a grand total of 54 major league at-bats. Someone needs to offer Capra a coaching job, or he may pursue his dream forever.
JEFF CARTER 1964 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PHX 241 55 3 1 2 27 9 5 .228 .306 .274 .209 50 19 1992 TAC 376 95 12 3 2 59 18 7 .253 .354 .316 .247 93 44 1993 POR 370 103 11 4 1 51 13 8 .278 .366 .338 .255 94 45 1994 SLC 434 112 10 2 3 74 22 9 .258 .366 .311 .251 109 52 1995 CHR 429 104 11 2 1 56 19 7 .242 .330 .284 .227 97 41Another career minor leaguer. Resembles Jeff Gardner a little; a .260 hitter with walks and some speed, but he has no power to speak of and no reputation for being a glove man, so he hasn't gotten a shot.
CHRIS CLAPINSKI 1972 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 KNE 219 36 6 1 0 22 2 3 .164 .241 .201 .129 28 6 1994 BRV 162 45 9 2 2 19 2 1 .278 .354 .395 .266 43 21 1995 PME 210 46 6 1 4 22 4 2 .219 .293 .314 .215 45 18Pendleton can't go on forever, so the Marlins could use a good third base prospect. Unfortunately, this isn't him.
TIM CLARK 1969 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STO 429 98 11 1 7 33 5 3 .228 .284 .308 .208 89 33 1993 HDS 484 137 21 4 10 30 1 2 .283 .325 .405 .256 124 58 1994 PME 488 114 14 1 10 39 3 4 .234 .290 .328 .216 105 41 1995 PME 502 124 20 2 7 46 1 3 .247 .310 .337 .227 114 47Had a monster year playing in the thin air of High Desert in 1993, but once you let the air out of his numbers, they aren't all that impressive. They were, however, the best of his career, which isn't a good sign for Clark. No prospect at this point.
GREG COLBRUNN 1970 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 IND 215 65 13 1 9 6 1 0 .302 .321 .498 .282 61 32 1992 MON 169 48 7 0 3 7 3 2 .284 .312 .379 .245 41 18 1993 WPB 32 12 1 1 1 3 0 0 .375 .429 .562 .340 11 7 1993 MON 153 39 7 0 4 7 4 2 .255 .287 .379 .235 36 16 1994 FLA 152 45 8 0 5 9 1 1 .296 .335 .447 .272 41 21 1995 FLA 528 150 18 1 21 22 12 3 .284 .313 .441 .265 140 69 1996 PRJ 502 143 22 1 24 27 8 3 .285 .321 .476 .276 139 73Colbrunn had a terrible season versus left-handers, hitting just .215 with a .583 OPS against them. This is very unusual for a right-handed batter, and is inconsistent with Colbrunn's career before 1995 a .295 average from 1992-94. If he figures out what he was doing wrong, he might have a breakout season, because he pounded RHPs. Needs to walk more often, but overall isn't a terrible first baseman, and could improve.
JEFF CONINE 1966 LF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 OMA 173 43 6 1 3 21 0 0 .249 .330 .347 .240 42 18 1992 OMA 398 119 18 3 17 49 5 4 .299 .376 .487 .297 118 68 1992 KCR 91 24 4 3 0 8 0 0 .264 .323 .374 .246 22 10 1993 FLA 593 173 20 2 11 53 2 2 .292 .350 .388 .262 155 74 1994 FLA 442 138 21 4 16 39 1 2 .312 .368 .486 .295 130 72 1995 FLA 483 150 22 2 23 65 2 0 .311 .392 .507 .310 150 89 1996 PRJ 578 172 26 3 25 65 2 1 .298 .369 .483 .295 171 96The failure of the Royals to protect him in the Expansion Draft looks dumber and dumber every year. He hits for average and power, walks a lot, and is an extremely durable player. He doesn't turn 30 until June, and he may have three or four very good years left in him.
ANDRE DAWSON 1955 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CHC 568 162 21 3 32 23 4 4 .285 .313 .502 .277 157 83 1992 CHC 550 165 26 2 27 34 6 2 .300 .341 .502 .290 159 87 1993 BOS 456 125 22 1 13 13 2 1 .274 .294 .412 .247 113 51 1994 BOS 290 70 15 1 13 5 2 2 .241 .254 .434 .236 69 30 1995 FLA 226 60 9 3 7 9 0 0 .265 .294 .425 .250 56 26 1996 PRJ 144 33 4 1 3 7 0 0 .229 .265 .333 .208 30 11"Houston, the Hawk has landed."
CURT FORD 1961 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TOL 365 90 19 2 3 32 9 7 .247 .307 .334 .227 83 35 1992 LOU 257 74 11 2 5 26 10 5 .288 .353 .405 .269 69 35 1995 CHR 166 46 5 0 3 8 2 3 .277 .310 .361 .235 39 17Was last seen pinch-hitting for the Phillies in 1990. Was out of organized baseball for two years before returning, which rings the "Replacement Player" bell over him. Time for the dream to end, Curt.
CRAIG GREBECK 1965 SS/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CWS 225 67 16 3 6 38 2 3 .298 .399 .476 .301 68 40 1992 CWS 291 85 22 3 3 29 0 3 .292 .356 .419 .270 79 40 1993 CWS 189 44 4 0 1 25 2 2 .233 .322 .270 .211 40 15 1994 CWS 96 30 3 0 0 11 0 0 .312 .383 .344 .265 25 12 1995 CWS 153 42 6 0 2 19 0 0 .275 .355 .353 .254 39 18 1996 PRJ 220 60 11 2 4 24 0 0 .273 .344 .395 .262 58 28Another great bench player for the Marlins. Like most great bench players, he's probably good enough to start; he's a victim of height bias. Major league teams don't expect short players to do much more than hit for average, so Grebeck's plate discipline and power have been pretty much ignored. If a there's an opening in the Marlins' infield early in the year, expect Grebeck to fill it.
TOMMY GREGG 1964 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 107 20 8 1 1 12 2 2 .187 .269 .308 .198 21 8 1992 RIC 127 34 6 2 0 16 16 10 .268 .350 .346 .250 32 16 1993 IND 195 58 10 3 5 24 4 4 .297 .374 .456 .286 56 31 1995 CHR 124 47 6 1 7 19 6 0 .379 .462 .613 .370 46 32 1995 FLA 156 38 6 0 5 16 3 1 .244 .314 .378 .245 38 18The one-time Braves' prospect resurrected his career by wreaking havoc on the International League for a month, earning him some time in rightfield while Sheffield was out. He's always been a pretty fair hitter, and that performance with Charlotte ought to keep him with the Marlins for at least another year. He plays all three outfield positions and first base, and could run a .280 average with some power if used right.
KIKI HERNANDEZ 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 GRB 399 112 12 1 10 41 1 3 .281 .348 .391 .260 104 50 1991 PRW 31 8 0 0 1 2 0 0 .258 .303 .355 .232 7 3 1992 ABY 340 94 8 1 6 32 0 0 .276 .339 .359 .249 85 38 1993 COH 54 12 2 0 1 6 0 0 .222 .300 .315 .216 12 5 1994 COH 134 34 3 1 3 10 1 2 .254 .306 .358 .231 31 13 1995 CHR 150 34 6 0 5 15 0 0 .227 .297 .367 .232 35 15There are worse catchers in baseball. He has pretty good power for a backup catcher, and if he gets a shot and slugs a few homers in the early going, he may just stick around for a while. He probably won't get the chance in Florida, however; Johnson should catch the bulk of the games, and Natal is a more-than-adequate caddy.
CHARLES JOHNSON 1972 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 KNE 497 119 13 2 13 43 5 1 .239 .300 .352 .231 115 49 1994 PME 447 108 15 1 19 60 4 3 .242 .331 .407 .257 115 57 1995 FLA 315 81 13 1 10 46 0 2 .257 .352 .400 .263 83 42 1996 PRJ 540 148 24 2 18 66 3 3 .274 .353 .426 .273 147 77Perhaps nothing is more indicative of how shrewd the Marlins organization is than their treatment of Johnson last year. Johnson, who the Marlins had been touting as their catcher of the future since he was drafted in 1992, was hitting .188 at the end of June. But instead of roasting him in the press or sending him down the minors or screwing with his swing, the Marlins just raved about his defense, about how he completely shut down the opposition's running game and how well he handled pitchers. At one point, Terry Pendleton was quoted as saying that Johnson should be the Marlins' representative to the All-Star Game.
Think what that must have done for Johnson's confidence. Here's a guy who can't hit .200 and yet everything he hears from his teammates, manager, and front office is positive. If he were a Yankee, he'd have been sent down to AA to "find his swing" or worse, traded. Instead he was allowed to work out his swing at his own pace and he hit .317 after the All-Star break with power and walks. There's every reason to expect him to be the #3 catcher in all of baseball this year, behind only Piazza and Rodriguez.
TERRY JORGENSEN 1967 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 POR 448 119 13 1 10 42 1 0 .266 .329 .366 .247 111 50 1992 POR 500 140 19 1 15 42 2 0 .280 .336 .412 .264 132 64 1992 MIN 58 19 1 0 0 3 1 2 .328 .361 .345 .249 14 6 1993 POR 232 62 11 1 3 15 1 0 .267 .312 .362 .240 56 24 1993 MIN 151 35 5 0 1 9 1 0 .232 .275 .285 .196 30 10 1994 PME 471 119 10 1 10 31 1 2 .253 .299 .342 .225 106 43 1995 CHR 356 86 6 1 6 35 3 2 .242 .309 .315 .221 79 31Pendleton can't go on forever, so the Marlins could use a good third base prospect. Unfortunately, this isn't him.
ROB KATZAROFF 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HAR 563 145 18 2 3 35 20 11 .258 .301 .313 .221 124 49 1992 BIN 458 118 14 5 2 34 19 12 .258 .309 .323 .226 104 43 1993 SHV 411 109 11 3 1 31 12 7 .265 .317 .314 .227 93 38 1994 LEL 280 65 6 2 1 28 15 5 .232 .302 .279 .214 60 23 1994 MID 104 24 2 1 0 13 7 2 .231 .316 .269 .220 23 9 1995 PME 443 123 11 2 8 37 14 7 .278 .333 .366 .251 111 51He's 5'8" and 170 pounds, and he hits like a scrappy outfielder, so he may fool someone into thinking he's John Cangelosi, but don't bet on it.
JIMMY KREMERS 1966 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 IND 293 70 8 0 10 32 2 1 .239 .314 .369 .240 70 32 1992 IND 145 30 7 1 2 17 1 1 .207 .290 .310 .209 30 12 1993 NWO 155 41 8 0 7 20 0 0 .265 .349 .452 .277 43 23 1994 NWO 158 34 1 1 5 15 0 0 .215 .283 .329 .213 34 13 1995 PME 266 55 7 3 6 21 1 0 .207 .265 .323 .204 54 20Hit .110 in his only major league audition, with the 1990 Braves. That's not a real indication of his ability; he could easily hit at least .150 or so.
LOU LUCCA 1971 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 ERI 275 65 6 1 7 22 3 2 .236 .293 .342 .223 61 25 1993 KNE 427 96 14 1 4 43 3 4 .225 .296 .290 .205 87 32 1994 BRV 456 124 17 1 10 60 3 4 .272 .357 .379 .260 119 58 1995 PME 391 99 17 1 8 47 3 3 .253 .333 .363 .246 96 44Probably the Marlins' best option in case Pendleton self-destructs. Gets on base a fair amount, but doesn't hit for enough power for a corner infielder to impress anyone. A slightly toned down version of Chris Donnels. Lives on the second floor.
BILLY MCMILLON 1972 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 ELM 234 54 6 1 3 19 2 2 .231 .289 .303 .207 48 18 1994 KNE 507 111 12 1 12 63 4 2 .219 .305 .318 .220 112 45 1995 PME 521 149 17 2 12 79 12 7 .286 .380 .395 .276 144 76 1996 PRJ 583 152 23 2 14 112 9 4 .261 .380 .379 .272 159 84Not your typical tools player, but he's beginning to get some respect because he does everything well. An extremely patient hitter, and while his arm limits him to left, he has good range there. Ticketed to start the year in AAA, but should see some playing time in Florida this year, and if Conine, White, or Sheffield go down with injury, he'll probably get the nod to start.
JOE MILLETTE 1967 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CLR 57 13 2 0 0 6 1 1 .228 .302 .263 .198 11 4 1991 REA 355 75 5 2 4 24 4 3 .211 .261 .270 .182 65 20 1992 SWB 255 61 7 1 1 13 3 2 .239 .276 .286 .197 50 17 1992 PHI 79 18 0 0 0 5 1 0 .228 .274 .228 .173 14 4 1993 SWB 343 71 9 1 1 18 5 3 .207 .247 .248 .165 57 15 1994 EDM 392 85 13 2 2 10 5 4 .217 .236 .276 .172 67 19 1995 CHR 193 33 4 0 3 9 1 1 .171 .208 .238 .132 25 5Well, at least he's consistent. He's lousy everywhere he plays.
RALPH MILLIARD 1974 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1994 KNE 522 130 18 1 6 50 6 5 .249 .315 .322 .226 118 48 1995 PME 469 114 14 2 9 69 17 7 .243 .340 .339 .245 115 54 1996 PRJ 580 153 19 1 12 77 20 8 .264 .350 .362 .257 149 73Veras isn't going anywhere, but Milliard plays good defense, is only 22, and, like McMillon, draws tons of walks. The Marlins should probably let Milliard develop for another year, then wave him around as trade bait.
RUSS MORMAN 1962 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 OMA 319 81 12 2 6 35 10 4 .254 .328 .361 .247 79 37 1992 NAS 382 114 20 2 12 32 5 2 .298 .353 .455 .282 108 57 1993 BUF 410 132 24 2 18 45 1 3 .322 .389 .522 .310 127 75 1994 EDM 384 114 17 1 12 29 8 0 .297 .346 .440 .279 107 56 1994 FLA 33 7 0 1 1 2 0 0 .212 .257 .364 .214 7 3 1995 CHR 169 49 6 1 4 12 2 1 .290 .337 .408 .263 45 22 1995 FLA 72 21 3 1 2 3 0 0 .292 .320 .444 .267 19 9Had the misfortune of blooming into a good hitter at the age of 30, at which point no one was going to give him a job. The Marlins took a flyer on him last year, and he did an excellent job off the bench. Like Gregg, Morman is at the point in his career where he'd do anything to stay in the major leagues. If the Marlins keep both of them on their bench, they'd have a pair of hungry players who would relish every at-bat and inning played and who have the offensive skills to contribute in a big way.
BOB NATAL 1966 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HAR 341 81 9 1 12 35 1 1 .238 .309 .375 .239 82 37 1991 IND 41 13 3 0 0 5 1 0 .317 .391 .390 .286 12 6 1992 IND 344 102 14 2 10 24 3 0 .297 .342 .436 .275 94 48 1993 EDM 63 17 4 0 2 6 0 0 .270 .333 .429 .266 17 8 1993 FLA 117 25 3 1 1 6 1 0 .214 .252 .282 .184 22 7 1994 EDM 111 26 3 1 2 7 1 1 .234 .280 .333 .214 24 9 1994 FLA 28 7 2 0 0 5 1 0 .250 .364 .321 .256 7 3 1995 CHR 190 55 8 0 3 10 0 0 .289 .325 .379 .250 48 21 1995 FLA 43 10 2 1 2 1 0 0 .233 .250 .465 .244 10 5Natal has yet to hit in the majors the way he has at the AAA level, but in fairness, he's never really had an extended audition, either. The departure of Steve Decker leaves the job of backup catcher in Natal's lap, and it will stay there at least through 1996.
JOE ORSULAK 1962 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BAL 490 146 21 1 5 27 8 2 .298 .335 .376 .256 125 57 1992 BAL 394 121 18 4 4 27 6 4 .307 .352 .404 .268 106 51 1993 NYM 410 118 12 3 8 29 6 4 .288 .335 .390 .257 105 49 1994 NYM 290 76 3 0 6 16 5 2 .262 .301 .334 .227 66 27 1995 NYM 292 87 14 2 1 19 1 3 .298 .341 .370 .251 73 33 1996 PRJ 355 99 16 3 5 27 3 2 .279 .330 .383 .253 90 42Orsulak's signing was a sign that the Marlins plan to contend this year. He's not being handed a starting assignment, and teams don't typically give two-year deals to bench players unless they think they have a legitimate chance to win.
TERRY PENDLETON 1961 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 588 191 33 6 23 42 9 2 .325 .370 .519 .306 180 104 1992 ATL 651 218 31 2 28 42 5 2 .335 .375 .518 .308 200 114 1993 ATL 633 174 24 1 17 37 5 1 .275 .315 .397 .252 159 73 1994 ATL 308 80 16 3 6 12 2 0 .260 .287 .390 .239 73 32 1995 FLA 513 153 23 1 14 37 1 2 .298 .345 .429 .271 139 69 1996 PRJ 579 157 27 2 15 33 2 3 .271 .310 .402 .250 145 66His improbable run in Atlanta appears to have found a second wind with the Marlins. He's 35 years old and could see his career fall off a cliff at any moment, but he played very well last year and the Marlins have no better options at this point. He hit equally well before and after the All-Star Break, but his defense is beginning to slip a little. The Marlins' playoff hopes depend in large part on Pendleton avoiding a disastrous season.
MIKE REDMOND 1971 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 KNE 101 16 1 0 0 4 1 0 .158 .190 .168 **** -1 0 1994 KNE 309 68 2 0 2 18 2 2 .220 .263 .246 .171 53 15 1994 BRV 43 11 3 0 0 2 0 0 .256 .289 .326 .217 9 3 1995 PME 335 77 8 1 2 15 2 1 .230 .263 .278 .186 62 19Wants to be Jimmy Kremers when he grows up.
EDGAR RENTERIA 1976 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 KNE 391 62 3 0 1 23 4 3 .159 .205 .174 .071 28 2 1994 BRV 448 105 11 2 1 28 5 6 .234 .279 .275 .192 86 28 1995 PME 509 134 9 5 6 22 23 8 .263 .294 .336 .229 117 48Still a long way from being a major league hitter, but he's just 20 years old, has shown consistent improvement over the last two years, and plays, by all accounts, terrific defense. He needs to work on his plate discipline, but in a year or two he figures to move Kurt Abbott to third base or to another team entirely.
JERRY SCHUNK 1966 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SYR 328 76 5 0 5 1 1 2 .232 .234 .293 .177 58 17 1992 SYR 420 105 11 1 2 17 2 2 .250 .279 .295 .201 84 29 1993 POR 389 90 16 1 2 13 4 2 .231 .256 .293 .190 74 24 1994 PME 327 78 6 1 5 19 2 4 .239 .280 .309 .204 67 24 1995 CHR 342 70 8 0 5 18 7 0 .205 .244 .272 .180 61 19I hope he's been working on his college degree in the off-season, because he needs it.
CHRIS SHEFF 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 ERI 204 40 3 1 2 22 6 2 .196 .274 .250 .185 38 12 1993 KNE 464 106 13 2 4 40 16 6 .228 .290 .291 .209 97 36 1994 BRV 122 44 8 2 1 14 5 1 .361 .426 .484 .324 40 24 1994 PME 396 88 9 1 4 24 13 3 .222 .267 .280 .196 78 26 1995 PME 475 121 15 4 11 58 18 5 .255 .336 .373 .255 121 59Sheff has no glaring weaknesses, but doesn't do anything particularly well either. He needs to do something that attracts attention, like steal 50 bases, or he may find himself a forgotten man.
GARY SHEFFIELD 1969 RF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MIL 175 35 12 2 2 18 7 5 .200 .275 .326 .209 37 15 1992 SDP 564 196 31 2 39 51 5 5 .348 .402 .617 .337 190 123 1993 FLA 236 69 6 3 9 29 13 4 .292 .370 .458 .292 69 39 1993 SDP 258 77 10 2 9 19 5 1 .298 .347 .457 .282 73 38 1994 FLA 316 85 14 1 23 50 13 6 .269 .369 .538 .304 96 61 1995 FLA 213 71 10 1 13 55 19 4 .333 .470 .573 .359 77 57 1996 PRJ 474 154 24 1 33 106 38 11 .325 .448 .589 .351 166 121He's a veteran of eight major league seasons, and he just turned 27. Does everything exceptionally well except play defense. If he can stay healthy all season (a big if), he's a frontrunner for the MVP award in 1996.
JESUS TAVAREZ 1971 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SBR 465 107 7 1 4 17 31 10 .230 .257 .275 .196 91 31 1992 JAX 396 92 7 1 3 20 22 8 .232 .269 .278 .200 79 28 1993 HDS 430 94 11 4 4 34 23 7 .219 .276 .291 .207 89 33 1994 PME 354 88 6 4 2 27 15 5 .249 .302 .305 .222 78 31 1994 FLA 39 7 0 0 0 1 1 1 .179 .200 .179 .082 3 0 1995 CHR 139 37 4 1 1 9 7 5 .266 .311 .331 .229 32 13 1995 FLA 190 56 6 2 1 16 7 5 .295 .350 .363 .255 48 23The acquisition of Devon White meant that either Tavarez or Carr had to go. Carr was more expensive and had already reached his peak, so he was the logical choice to be traded. Tavarez never hit until recently, but his defense, speed, and promising numbers in Florida last year should give Lachemann a number of reasons to use him this year.
QUILVIO VERAS 1971 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 CMB 430 112 16 5 2 61 31 15 .260 .352 .335 .251 108 53 1993 BIN 446 119 14 4 2 76 34 14 .267 .374 .330 .261 116 59 1994 NOR 466 114 12 3 1 52 37 15 .245 .320 .290 .228 106 45 1995 FLA 441 119 19 6 4 78 57 22 .270 .380 .367 .275 121 68 1996 PRJ 582 165 25 8 2 118 78 25 .284 .404 .364 .289 168 99The irony with Veras is that the mediots consider him a good leadoff hitter because he steals tons of bases, when in fact he gets caught stealing so often that he doesn't help the Marlins much with his running game. What makes him so good is the fact that he walks an incredible amount, and has throughout his career. His 1994 season was ruined by injury, but for the rest of his career he's consistently put up .370-.380 OBPs, and that should only get better. One of the six best second basemen in the game today.
DEVON WHITE 1963 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TOR 639 183 37 9 17 53 41 10 .286 .341 .452 .282 180 98 1992 TOR 645 170 26 7 19 45 40 4 .264 .312 .414 .264 170 85 1993 TOR 593 164 39 6 14 52 38 4 .277 .335 .433 .278 165 88 1994 TOR 401 110 20 5 11 16 13 3 .274 .302 .431 .259 104 50 1995 TOR 424 123 21 4 8 23 14 2 .290 .327 .415 .266 113 55 1996 PRJ 566 152 26 5 13 25 18 1 .269 .299 .401 .252 143 66Overall, not a good signing by the Marlins. He's 33 now, and by the time his three-year deal ends he could be a really bad player. In the short term, White provides great defense and some extra-base hits, and if the Marlins bat him 6th or 7th in the lineup, his lack of on-base won't cause too much damage.
DARRELL WHITMORE 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 KIN 457 112 14 1 6 43 11 6 .245 .310 .319 .225 103 42 1993 EDM 257 74 12 1 6 17 8 5 .288 .332 .412 .262 67 33 1993 FLA 249 51 7 2 3 11 4 2 .205 .238 .285 .178 44 13 1994 EDM 404 96 14 2 13 34 13 3 .238 .297 .379 .241 97 44 1995 FLA 58 11 2 0 1 5 0 0 .190 .254 .276 .178 10 3The Marlins took a flyer on him in the Expansion Draft because they liked his tools. Next time, I suggest they try the nearest hardware store.
POOKIE WILSON 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 KNE 477 95 4 1 1 35 16 7 .199 .254 .218 .160 76 20 1994 BRV 495 124 13 3 2 41 19 9 .251 .308 .301 .221 109 43 1995 PME 349 86 9 3 3 12 7 3 .246 .271 .315 .208 73 26Not a prospect, but you have to like anyone whose name rhymes with "Mookie".
EDDIE ZOSKY 1968 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SYR 511 127 14 2 6 22 8 3 .249 .280 .319 .212 109 40 1992 SYR 345 77 8 4 4 16 3 3 .223 .258 .304 .193 67 22 1993 SYR 93 18 4 0 0 1 0 1 .194 .202 .237 .123 11 2 1994 SYR 283 70 10 2 5 7 3 1 .247 .266 .350 .217 61 23 1995 CHR 310 70 12 1 2 7 2 2 .226 .243 .290 .181 56 17Remember when he was touted by the Blue Jays as a "can't-miss" prospect? The Blue Jays tout their plays better than any team this side of the Dodgers. The Marlins fell for it once, when they drafted that amazing phenom, Nigel Wilson. In three years with Florida, Wilson went an amazing 0-for-23 with 15 Ks.
Organizational Pitching Report
OPR Points: 25 Rank in MLB: 15th (T) Rank in NL East: 4th
Name Lvl Age IP Work H/G K/BB K/G ERA Adj Ttl Grade Seelbach, Chris 7 4 6 0 6 3 7 3 0 36 A Adamson, Joel 8 3 5 0 2 8 2 3 0 31 B- Nunez, Clemente 3 5 5 0 6 8 1 5 -3 30 C+ Ward, Bryan 5 0 7 0 3 6 6 2 -1 28 C Cunnane, Will 6 5 5 0 2 5 2 2 0 27 C- Whisenant, Matt 6 0 6 0 5 2 4 3 0 26 D+ Alfonseca, Ant 6 1 4 0 5 3 4 2 0 25 D Mendoza, Reynol 6 0 8 0 3 3 2 3 0 25 D Saunders, Tony 3 3 2 0 5 8 3 3 -3 24 D Best Prospect in 1994: Will Cunnane (B+) Best Rookie Starter in 1995: Marc Valdes (B-)
JOEL ADAMSON 1972 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SPA 71.3 102 44 11 21 52 5.55 3 5 12.87 2.65 6.56 1991 CLR 27.0 35 16 5 7 15 5.33 1 2 11.67 2.33 5.00 1992 CLR 80.0 122 55 12 28 42 6.19 3 6 13.73 3.15 4.72 1992 REA 55.3 75 38 16 15 30 6.18 2 4 12.20 2.44 4.88 1993 HDS 118.3 177 81 22 16 55 6.16 4 9 13.46 1.22 4.18 1993 EDM 23.3 38 20 4 14 6 7.71 1 2 14.66 5.40 2.31 1994 PME 84.3 109 55 13 35 47 5.87 3 6 11.63 3.74 5.02 1995 CHR 109.0 120 51 16 23 74 4.21 6 6 9.91 1.90 6.11The Marlins traded for him three years ago and have patiently waited for him to develop. He made huge strides last year, and you wouldn't want to bet against a left-hander with his control. The signings of Leiter and Brown give him at least another year to develop, but he's a threat to join the rotation in 1997.
ANTONIO ALFONSECA 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 JAM 29.7 33 31 10 30 16 9.40 0 3 10.01 9.10 4.85 1994 KNE 79.3 98 53 10 23 52 6.01 3 6 11.12 2.61 5.90 1995 PME 90.3 96 48 10 44 64 4.78 4 6 9.56 4.38 6.38Alfonseca attracted attention from the moment he signed a pro contract, because he has six fingers on each hand. Don't think that means he'll be twice as good as Three-Finger Brown, but he's a legitimate prospect, and he's getting better.
MIGUEL BATISTA 1971 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ROK 119.7 156 97 9 62 59 7.30 3 10 11.73 4.66 4.44 1992 WPB 122.0 176 111 13 75 74 8.19 3 11 12.98 5.53 5.46 1993 HAR 129.0 162 87 16 96 77 6.07 4 10 11.30 6.70 5.37 1994 HAR 10.0 11 5 0 10 4 4.50 0 1 9.90 9.00 3.60 1995 CHR 109.3 123 74 16 66 53 6.09 4 8 10.12 5.43 4.36It would be nice if he could post a strikeout-to-walk ratio better than even.
RYAN BOWEN 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TUC 90.3 103 43 5 55 72 4.28 5 5 10.26 5.48 7.17 1991 HOU 71.3 77 40 5 37 53 5.05 3 5 9.71 4.67 6.69 1992 TUC 114.0 119 54 11 60 91 4.26 6 7 9.39 4.74 7.18 1992 HOU 33.7 52 43 12 32 25 11.50 0 4 13.90 8.55 6.68 1993 FLA 154.3 161 77 13 93 104 4.49 8 9 9.39 5.42 6.06 1994 EDM 17.7 20 10 3 11 12 5.09 1 1 10.19 5.60 6.11 1994 FLA 47.3 49 24 9 19 33 4.56 2 3 9.32 3.61 6.27 1995 BRV 10.3 7 4 2 7 8 3.48 1 0 6.10 6.10 6.97 1995 FLA 16.3 22 12 3 12 15 6.61 1 1 12.12 6.61 8.27A mediocre pitcher at his best, he hasn't even been that since he blew his knee out early in 1994. Unlikely to come back.
KEVIN BROWN 1965 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TEX 207.0 238 97 16 87 109 4.22 11 12 10.35 3.78 4.74 1992 TEX 261.3 253 92 12 71 202 3.17 18 11 8.71 2.45 6.96 1993 TEX 229.7 228 85 14 68 161 3.33 15 11 8.93 2.66 6.31 1994 TEX 167.3 202 74 13 41 129 3.98 10 9 10.86 2.21 6.94 1995 BAL 170.3 179 72 8 40 133 3.80 10 9 9.46 2.11 7.03An extreme groundball pitcher his groundball-flyball ratio last year was 2.68. There are very few pitchers whose pitches sink consistenly enough to post G/F ratio greater than 2, and fewer still have the stuff to also strikeout more than 5 batters a game. Among the few groundball-strikeout pitchers are Brown, Joey Hamilton, Jeff Fassero and Greg Maddux. As a group, these pitchers tend to be durable, give up very little power, and pitch effectively into their mid-to-late 30s. Brown should be an excellent pitcher in Florida for the life of his contract.
JOHN BURKETT 1965 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SFG 205.0 241 101 25 63 142 4.43 10 13 10.58 2.77 6.23 1992 SFG 189.3 206 97 19 50 120 4.61 9 12 9.79 2.38 5.70 1993 SFG 228.3 249 107 22 47 157 4.22 12 13 9.81 1.85 6.19 1994 SFG 158.0 192 73 14 39 89 4.16 9 9 10.94 2.22 5.07 1995 FLA 187.0 204 78 21 57 123 3.75 11 10 9.82 2.74 5.92Burkett was forced to pitch as the Marlins #2 or #3 starter all last season, but he now becomes possibly the best #5 starter in baseball. He gives up too many hits to ever be an All-Star pitcher, but he has good control and in six years in the majors he has never gone on the DL.
DAN CHERGEY 1971 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 ELM 70.0 102 43 11 17 29 5.53 3 5 13.11 2.19 3.73 1994 BRV 39.7 38 18 3 12 35 4.08 2 2 8.62 2.72 7.94 1994 EDM 18.7 20 10 2 5 16 4.82 1 1 9.64 2.41 7.71 1995 PME 76.7 72 39 12 26 64 4.58 4 5 8.45 3.05 7.51Not very heralded, but he's pitched very well the last two years. He's a longshot to fit in the Marlins' crowded bullpen, though.
WILL CUNNANE 1974 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1994 KNE 125.0 151 44 3 24 74 3.17 9 5 10.87 1.73 5.33 1995 PME 109.3 146 57 11 33 71 4.69 5 7 12.02 2.72 5.84Cunnane was signed as an undrafted free agent and still has his skeptics, because he doesn't throw very hard. Still, posting the lowest ERA in organized baseball in 1994 will attract attention. Even if his velocity doesn't improve, though, a 22-year-old who throws strikes as consistently as he does has to be considered a good prospect. He's wafer-thin and the Marlins are desperately trying to get him to put on some weight.
MARK DAVIS 1961 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OMA 34.7 31 12 2 8 34 3.12 2 2 8.05 2.08 8.83 1991 KCR 61.7 55 29 6 37 53 4.23 3 4 8.03 5.40 7.74 1992 ATL 17.0 25 14 4 14 17 7.41 0 2 13.24 7.41 9.00 1992 KCR 35.7 44 28 7 28 23 7.07 1 3 11.10 7.07 5.80 1993 PHI 30.7 35 20 5 26 30 5.87 1 2 10.27 7.63 8.80 1993 SDP 37.7 44 21 5 21 44 5.02 2 2 10.51 5.02 10.51 1994 SDP 16.3 19 15 4 13 15 8.27 0 2 10.47 7.16 8.27The Marlins love to work on pitching reclamation projects they're also working on restoring Sam Militello but this time, I think they may be a little out of their depth.
MARK GARDNER 1962 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 IND 29.3 30 14 4 16 36 4.30 1 2 9.20 4.91 11.05 1991 MON 167.7 157 82 23 79 117 4.40 9 10 8.43 4.24 6.28 1992 MON 179.3 200 99 22 66 151 4.97 8 12 10.04 3.31 7.58 1993 OMA 46.7 36 17 8 20 41 3.28 3 2 6.94 3.86 7.91 1993 KCR 90.3 98 58 18 33 62 5.78 3 7 9.76 3.29 6.18 1994 FLA 92.0 96 45 14 31 58 4.40 5 5 9.39 3.03 5.67 1995 FLA 101.7 106 49 14 44 85 4.34 5 6 9.38 3.90 7.52A journeyman pitcher who's kept a job with the Marlins because he can start or relieve equally well. Which isn't all that well, and his career could come to an end at any time.
CHRIS HAMMOND 1966 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CIN 99.3 97 48 6 50 54 4.35 5 6 8.79 4.53 4.89 1992 CIN 147.0 156 73 18 59 89 4.47 7 9 9.55 3.61 5.45 1993 FLA 188.0 213 98 21 73 115 4.69 9 12 10.20 3.49 5.51 1994 FLA 72.7 78 25 4 24 41 3.10 5 3 9.66 2.97 5.08 1995 FLA 160.3 154 60 17 47 123 3.37 11 7 8.64 2.64 6.90Has pitched very well the last two years, but missed much of 1994 with injury and disappeared the second half of 1995 (4.86 ERA after the Break), which is beginning to make the Marlins wonder if he's worth the hassle. The jump in his strikeout-to-walk ratio last year suggests that he is.
WILSON HEREDIA 1972 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 GAS 55.7 90 61 11 36 43 9.86 1 5 14.55 5.82 6.95 1993 PCH 35.3 37 24 2 24 23 6.11 1 3 9.42 6.11 5.86 1994 TUL 41.3 41 29 12 9 43 6.31 1 4 8.93 1.96 9.36 1995 PME 25.0 27 12 2 15 16 4.32 1 2 9.72 5.40 5.76 1995 TUL 41.3 45 20 5 22 32 4.35 2 3 9.80 4.79 6.97 1995 OKL 30.0 38 21 4 26 20 6.30 1 2 11.40 7.80 6.00 1995 TEX 11.7 9 5 1 14 7 3.86 1 0 6.94 10.80 5.40Acquired from the Rangers in the Marlins' annual drive to rid the Rangers of what few prospects they have. He's young and has a good arm, but his control is so bad that the Marlins may want to consider outfitting him with a pair of Rick Vaughn glasses. Moving around all last year didn't help him any. Needs a year of AAA before we have a clear idea of what his future may hold.
JEREMY HERNANDEZ 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 LVG 63.7 69 28 3 24 62 3.96 4 3 9.75 3.39 8.76 1991 SDP 14.3 9 1 0 5 10 .63 2 0 5.65 3.14 6.28 1992 LVG 52.3 53 17 3 19 38 2.92 4 2 9.11 3.27 6.54 1992 SDP 36.7 40 15 5 11 28 3.68 2 2 9.82 2.70 6.87 1993 CLE 76.3 72 27 8 24 49 3.18 5 3 8.49 2.83 5.78 1993 SDP 33.7 41 17 2 8 27 4.54 2 2 10.96 2.14 7.22 1994 FLA 23.3 16 8 0 14 13 3.09 2 1 6.17 5.40 5.01 1995 CHR 28.3 39 21 6 17 22 6.67 1 2 12.39 5.40 6.99Was a good innings-eater for a few years, but his arm blew out in tandem with Bryan Harvey's in 1994, and while Hernandez at least came back in 1995, as you can see, his stuff didn't come with him.
JAROD JUELSGAARD 1969 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 EVE 53.3 80 47 10 28 26 7.93 1 5 13.50 4.72 4.39 1992 CLN 65.7 98 63 7 61 37 8.63 1 6 13.43 8.36 5.07 1993 KNE 24.0 26 14 1 8 12 5.25 1 2 9.75 3.00 4.50 1993 HDS 70.7 83 54 13 59 44 6.88 2 6 10.57 7.51 5.60 1994 PME 84.0 128 75 14 61 44 8.04 2 7 13.71 6.54 4.71 1995 PME 66.3 77 38 5 47 38 5.16 3 4 10.45 6.38 5.16Wild, ineffective, generally clueless. The Twins must have overlooked adding him to their staff last year.
AL LEITER 1966 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 SYR 155.0 165 77 13 69 97 4.47 8 9 9.58 4.01 5.63 1993 TOR 103.3 94 43 8 53 75 3.75 6 5 8.19 4.62 6.53 1994 TOR 109.3 120 50 4 60 106 4.12 6 6 9.88 4.94 8.73 1995 TOR 180.7 163 62 11 98 168 3.09 13 7 8.12 4.88 8.37After battling his control for years, last year Leiter stopped worrying about walking batters and started worrying about getting them out. It generally worked, and pitchers usually find their control improves most when they stop thinking about it so often. The potential is there for a Jason Bere-like disaster, but the potential is also there for Leiter to imitate Tom Glavine for a few years. Like Joaquin Andujar said, youneverknow.
DON LEMON 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 ERI 62.0 92 45 10 38 32 6.53 2 5 13.35 5.52 4.65 1993 HDS 22.0 38 16 4 0 13 6.55 1 1 15.55 .00 5.32 1993 EDM 69.3 89 43 13 20 46 5.58 3 5 11.55 2.60 5.97 1994 PME 35.7 37 28 10 18 20 7.07 1 3 9.34 4.54 5.05 1994 EDM 82.0 112 42 8 17 39 4.61 4 5 12.29 1.87 4.28 1995 PME 58.7 71 33 5 18 40 5.06 3 4 10.89 2.76 6.14 1995 CHR 11.3 11 7 3 3 7 5.56 0 1 8.74 2.38 5.56With this guy, you pretty much do know. And the answer is no.
STEVE LONG 1970 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SUM 66.7 90 42 8 34 48 5.67 2 5 12.15 4.59 6.48 1992 WPB 137.7 166 90 9 60 54 5.88 5 10 10.85 3.92 3.53 1993 BIN 145.7 180 87 15 62 58 5.38 6 10 11.12 3.83 3.58 1994 EDM 161.3 205 90 15 60 78 5.02 7 11 11.44 3.35 4.35 1995 CHR 70.3 72 53 11 51 42 6.78 2 6 9.21 6.53 5.37When people call him a long shot, they're not just making fun of his name.
MATT MANTEI 1974 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 BLN 23.0 35 27 6 15 22 10.57 0 3 13.70 5.87 8.61 1994 APP 42.7 54 22 3 25 49 4.64 2 3 11.39 5.27 10.34 1995 PME 10.3 12 4 0 5 13 3.48 1 0 10.45 4.35 11.32 1995 FLA 13.0 12 7 1 13 15 4.85 0 1 8.31 9.00 10.38This guy is an interesting project. After striking out over a third of the batters he faced for Appleton in 1994, the Marlins snatched him in the Rule V draft and brought him all the way to the majors. Despite clearly not being ready, Mantei pitched well in limited time, and dominated AA and AAA during a rehab assignment (it's funny how Rule V draftees always seem to get injured so their teams can send them down to the minors to play). With all that Mantei appears to be at the cusp of a full-time job in the major leagues, and he's only 22. Will probably start at AA, but he has the fastball to move up quickly.
TERRY MATHEWS 1965 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OKL 90.3 95 32 3 31 57 3.19 6 4 9.46 3.09 5.68 1991 TEX 56.3 56 21 5 17 58 3.36 4 2 8.95 2.72 9.27 1992 OKL 16.0 18 8 2 8 13 4.50 1 1 10.12 4.50 7.31 1992 TEX 41.3 46 22 5 29 30 4.79 2 3 10.02 6.31 6.53 1993 JAC 93.7 128 58 15 37 58 5.57 3 7 12.30 3.56 5.57 1993 TUC 30.3 39 13 1 11 29 3.86 2 1 11.57 3.26 8.60 1994 EDM 80.0 81 34 4 23 43 3.83 5 4 9.11 2.59 4.84 1994 FLA 43.0 44 14 3 10 22 2.93 3 2 9.21 2.09 4.60 1995 FLA 81.7 69 26 9 27 70 2.87 6 3 7.60 2.98 7.71After pitching well for the Rangers for a few years, Mathews disappeared for a while until he was salvaged by the Marlins. He's paid them back in spades; his last two years have been nothing short of terrific. If anything, he's getting better, and there's little reason to think he can't do it again in 1996. .474 career hitter.
REYNOL MENDOZA 1971 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 ERI 61.7 96 72 16 35 35 10.51 1 6 14.01 5.11 5.11 1993 KNE 150.3 164 80 12 48 99 4.79 7 10 9.82 2.87 5.93 1994 BRV 33.3 59 43 6 31 23 11.61 0 4 15.93 8.37 6.21 1995 PME 156.0 194 81 10 71 102 4.67 7 10 11.19 4.10 5.88
KURT MILLER 1973 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 AUG 102.0 119 70 18 67 64 6.18 3 8 10.50 5.91 5.65 1992 PCH 68.7 67 37 8 39 46 4.85 3 5 8.78 5.11 6.03 1992 TUL 81.3 104 57 17 44 59 6.31 3 6 11.51 4.87 6.53 1993 TUL 88.0 113 77 14 55 54 7.88 2 8 11.56 5.62 5.52 1993 EDM 44.0 41 22 3 36 17 4.50 2 3 8.39 7.36 3.48 1994 EDM 117.3 146 78 18 66 53 5.98 4 9 11.20 5.06 4.07 1994 FLA 20.0 25 15 3 8 11 6.75 1 1 11.25 3.60 4.95 1995 CHR 118.7 151 72 17 61 76 5.46 5 8 11.45 4.63 5.76The Marlins just love these ex-Ranger guys. He was one of the best prospects in baseball in 1992, but might as well have doused himself in gasoline the last three years. He may be hiding an injury, or Tom Grieve may be blackmailing him. Whatever the reason, he isn't anywhere near the same pitcher he used to be, and it's hard to say if he ever will be. Time is on his side.
GREG MIX 1972 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 ELM 38.7 58 30 8 23 21 6.98 1 3 13.50 5.35 4.89 1994 BRV 72.3 85 42 6 23 44 5.23 3 5 10.58 2.86 5.47 1995 BRV 27.3 33 17 4 12 13 5.60 1 2 10.87 3.95 4.28 1995 PME 86.7 115 55 15 24 48 5.71 3 7 11.94 2.49 4.98As in, "not in the..."
ROB MURPHY 1960 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SEA 47.0 51 18 3 19 39 3.45 3 2 9.77 3.64 7.47 1992 HOU 56.0 59 28 3 22 47 4.50 3 3 9.48 3.54 7.55 1993 STL 63.7 73 33 9 22 43 4.66 3 4 10.32 3.11 6.08 1994 STL 40.3 32 14 7 14 25 3.12 2 2 7.14 3.12 5.58The Marlins need to room him with Mark Davis, a technique known as "disease containment."
JEFF MUTIS 1967 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CAN 155.0 180 58 3 46 77 3.37 10 7 10.45 2.67 4.47 1991 CLE 12.0 21 11 2 7 7 8.25 0 1 15.75 5.25 5.25 1992 CSP 136.0 171 83 14 52 76 5.49 5 10 11.32 3.44 5.03 1992 CLE 11.0 24 14 3 6 9 11.45 0 1 19.64 4.91 7.36 1993 CHR 71.7 76 31 2 29 53 3.89 4 4 9.54 3.64 6.66 1993 CLE 79.7 89 42 13 30 32 4.74 4 5 10.05 3.39 3.62 1994 EDM 25.0 32 19 1 14 17 6.84 1 2 11.52 5.04 6.12 1994 FLA 38.0 51 22 4 15 31 5.21 1 3 12.08 3.55 7.34 1995 CHR 34.3 34 18 3 16 19 4.72 2 2 8.91 4.19 4.98More like Jeff Mucus.
ROBB NEN 1970 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TUL 26.0 26 22 10 21 19 7.62 1 2 9.00 7.27 6.58 1992 TUL 23.3 27 10 3 2 16 3.86 2 1 10.41 .77 6.17 1993 OKL 26.7 40 18 2 18 11 6.08 1 2 13.50 6.08 3.71 1993 FLA 33.0 36 26 7 21 29 7.09 1 3 9.82 5.73 7.91 1993 TEX 22.0 27 14 1 25 13 5.73 1 1 11.05 10.23 5.32 1994 FLA 57.7 45 17 6 18 61 2.65 4 2 7.02 2.81 9.52 1995 FLA 64.7 61 21 6 23 66 2.92 5 2 8.49 3.20 9.19Another ex-Ranger...only this one is good. Nen went through Steve Blass disease in reverse; one morning he woke up and began throwing nothing but strikes. Among major league closers, he ranks in the middle of the pack, but he's younger than most of them and his K rates are very high, both of which suggest he may join the elite closers in baseball this year. With the Marlins' expected improvement, not a bad bet for 40 saves.
ALEJANDRO PENA 1959 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ATL 19.3 12 3 2 4 14 1.40 2 0 5.59 1.86 6.52 1991 NYM 62.7 62 21 5 20 52 3.02 4 3 8.90 2.87 7.47 1992 ATL 42.0 44 20 9 14 39 4.29 2 3 9.43 3.00 8.36 1994 PIT 28.7 21 12 4 10 27 3.77 2 1 6.59 3.14 8.48 1995 ATL 13.0 12 6 1 4 18 4.15 0 1 8.31 2.77 12.46 1995 BOS 24.0 31 16 4 11 27 6.00 1 2 11.62 4.12 10.12 1995 FLA 18.0 11 3 2 3 21 1.50 2 0 5.50 1.50 10.50The Marlins turned 13 regular-season innings of Pena into a top prospect. Still a good pitcher, and give the Marlins credit for having the chutzpah to offer him a contract so soon after they traded him away.
YORKIS PEREZ 1968 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 RIC 100.0 106 45 10 51 98 4.05 5 6 9.54 4.59 8.82 1993 HAR 40.7 57 29 5 22 49 6.42 1 4 12.61 4.87 10.84 1993 OTT 19.0 16 9 0 8 15 4.26 1 1 7.58 3.79 7.11 1994 FLA 40.3 33 15 4 14 42 3.35 2 2 7.36 3.12 9.37 1995 FLA 45.7 34 23 7 29 46 4.53 2 3 6.70 5.72 9.07His ERA makes no sense in light of his other numbers. His control wasn't very good, but opposing batters hit just .202 against him. A similar pitcher to Pedro A. Martinez; if he's used correctly (and Lachemann knows how) he could easily post an ERA in the twos.
JAY POWELL 1972 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 AGA 25.0 33 21 1 15 18 7.56 1 2 11.88 5.40 6.48 1994 FRD 112.7 148 79 17 60 64 6.31 4 9 11.82 4.79 5.11 1995 PME 49.7 52 16 3 14 45 2.90 4 2 9.42 2.54 8.15Powell was drafted in the first round by the Orioles originally, but was terrible for a year-and-a-half while the Orioles proved yet again that starting closers-of-the-future in an effort to "get them innings" is not a smart idea. The Marlins allowed him to go all out for an inning an appearance, and he dominated the Eastern League. Expect him to dominate the majors before too long.
PAT RAPP 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SJO 79.3 120 57 3 33 53 6.47 2 7 13.61 3.74 6.01 1991 SHV 55.7 63 27 3 21 39 4.37 3 3 10.19 3.40 6.31 1992 PHX 114.0 119 51 6 36 79 4.03 6 7 9.39 2.84 6.24 1992 SFG 10.0 9 6 1 6 3 5.40 0 1 8.10 5.40 2.70 1993 EDM 102.0 89 43 12 36 83 3.79 6 5 7.85 3.18 7.32 1993 FLA 92.7 104 46 8 43 61 4.47 4 6 10.10 4.18 5.92 1994 FLA 132.7 130 57 13 70 77 3.87 8 7 8.82 4.75 5.22 1995 FLA 166.0 155 59 10 76 99 3.20 11 7 8.40 4.12 5.37Probably the best starter taken in the Expansion Draft. He's good and getting better; he was 11-2 with a 2.28 ERA after the All-Star Break. The one-hitter he threw in Coors Field illustrates just how dominant he can be. With Brown and Leiter to deflect attention away from him, Rapp just might pitch his way onto the All-Star Team.
RICH SCHEID 1965 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 VAN 62.7 68 47 13 34 55 6.75 2 5 9.77 4.88 7.90 1992 TUC 53.7 46 19 6 22 34 3.19 4 2 7.71 3.69 5.70 1992 VAN 32.3 35 15 1 29 25 4.18 2 2 9.74 8.07 6.96 1992 HOU 12.0 15 8 3 6 9 6.00 0 1 11.25 4.50 6.75 1993 EDM 102.0 130 61 12 39 74 5.38 4 7 11.47 3.44 6.53 1994 EDM 96.3 101 39 7 42 80 3.64 6 5 9.44 3.92 7.47 1994 FLA 32.0 35 15 6 8 17 4.22 2 2 9.84 2.25 4.78 1995 CHR 51.3 78 37 11 17 34 6.49 2 4 13.68 2.98 5.96 1995 FLA 10.0 14 6 1 7 10 5.40 0 1 12.60 6.30 9.00
CHRIS SEELBACH 1973 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 MCN 139.3 167 86 26 80 94 5.56 5 10 10.79 5.17 6.07 1993 DUR 117.0 158 104 25 94 78 8.00 3 10 12.15 7.23 6.00 1994 GRN 86.3 76 33 6 46 68 3.44 6 4 7.92 4.80 7.09 1994 RIC 57.0 75 36 7 38 32 5.68 2 4 11.84 6.00 5.05 1995 GRN 56.7 44 18 4 33 55 2.86 4 2 6.99 5.24 8.74 1995 RIC 69.3 69 40 10 44 61 5.19 3 5 8.96 5.71 7.92He was lost among the horde of pitching prospects in the Braves system, which is still no excuse for trading him for a month of Alejandro Pena. While his ERA doesn't show it, he was a much better pitcher in his second tour of Richmond, and he should be ready for a rotation spot in Florida by year's end, if they can open one up for him.
AARON SMALL 1972 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 DUN 134.3 173 75 18 45 72 5.02 6 9 11.59 3.01 4.82 1992 KNX 125.0 159 91 21 70 64 6.55 4 10 11.45 5.04 4.61 1993 KNX 84.7 107 44 6 44 35 4.68 4 5 11.37 4.68 3.72 1994 KNX 88.3 102 40 7 46 64 4.08 5 5 10.39 4.69 6.52 1994 SYR 23.0 21 8 2 10 14 3.13 2 1 8.22 3.91 5.48 1995 CHR 38.7 38 15 4 12 29 3.49 2 2 8.84 2.79 6.75Pilfered from the Blue Jays, Small appears to be yet another decent pitcher the Marlins picked up on the cheap. There's no spot for him, but if he continues to pitch the way he did last year he'll make room for himself.
STAN SPENCER 1969 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAR 85.7 107 63 13 27 57 6.62 3 7 11.24 2.84 5.99 1993 HDS 56.3 75 33 7 12 29 5.27 2 4 11.98 1.92 4.63 1994 BRV 18.3 26 12 1 7 19 5.89 1 1 12.76 3.44 9.33 1994 PME 116.0 131 59 18 32 77 4.58 6 7 10.16 2.48 5.97 1995 PME 36.0 65 40 12 20 27 10.00 1 3 16.25 5.00 6.75 1995 CHR 38.0 64 35 9 26 17 8.29 1 3 15.16 6.16 4.03Spencer is for hire, but you'd be foolish to do so.
JERRY SPRADLIN 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CHT 87.3 124 50 7 33 59 5.15 4 6 12.78 3.40 6.08 1992 CHT 60.7 64 18 2 16 29 2.67 5 2 9.49 2.37 4.30 1993 IND 54.3 61 22 4 13 47 3.64 3 3 10.10 2.15 7.79 1993 CIN 48.3 43 17 4 10 25 3.17 3 2 8.01 1.86 4.66 1994 EDM 10.0 11 3 0 4 3 2.70 1 0 9.90 3.60 2.70 1994 IND 69.3 97 35 4 16 49 4.54 3 5 12.59 2.08 6.36 1995 CHR 56.0 63 26 8 18 35 4.18 3 3 10.12 2.89 5.62Fell out of favor in Cincinnati, and is about out of chances to get back. If he's willing to do time in AAA, he might get a week or two in the majors each year to work on his pension.
MARC VALDES 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1994 KNE 70.0 79 40 6 24 48 5.14 3 5 10.16 3.09 6.17 1994 PME 92.0 90 36 7 44 56 3.52 6 4 8.80 4.30 5.48 1995 CHR 159.7 201 94 24 66 96 5.30 7 11 11.33 3.72 5.41A first-round pick by the Marlins, who got him at the end of the round because scouts were turned off by his height (6' flat). Was unimpressive in AAA last year, and got bombed in a trial with the big club, lasting just seven innings in a total of three starts. He's moved quickly through the system, though, and if he gets a chance to catch his breath and pitch for Charlotte again this year, he could still turn out to be a fine pick.
RANDY VERES 1966 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 PHX 41.0 40 23 3 13 39 5.05 2 3 8.78 2.85 8.56 1991 RIC 23.3 34 16 4 9 11 6.17 1 2 13.11 3.47 4.24 1992 PHX 12.3 13 10 2 13 13 7.30 0 1 9.49 9.49 9.49 1993 CAN 53.3 66 35 5 20 41 5.91 2 4 11.14 3.38 6.92 1994 IOW 53.7 46 24 6 11 41 4.02 3 3 7.71 1.84 6.88 1995 FLA 48.0 45 20 6 22 30 3.75 3 2 8.44 4.12 5.62The Marlins do a good job of proving that expansion doesn't dilute pitching, because they keep rescuing guys like Veres from the minors. If decent major league pitchers can be found from the unwanted chaff in AAA, then instead of bringing bad pitchers to the major leagues, all expansion does is give chances to guys (like Veres) who deserve them.
DAVID WAINHOUSE 1968 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAR 47.0 62 22 3 16 39 4.21 2 3 11.87 3.06 7.47 1991 IND 27.0 32 15 2 15 12 5.00 1 2 10.67 5.00 4.00 1992 IND 42.7 52 22 3 26 38 4.64 2 3 10.97 5.48 8.02 1993 CLG 15.0 9 7 3 8 6 4.20 1 1 5.40 4.80 3.60 1995 PME 22.7 44 23 5 8 14 9.13 0 3 17.47 3.18 5.56 1995 SYR 22.7 30 12 1 12 16 4.76 1 2 11.91 4.76 6.35Expansion shouldn't be giving guys like Wainhouse a chance, mind you.
BRYAN WARD 1972 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 ELM 51.0 92 50 12 34 34 8.82 1 5 16.24 6.00 6.00 1994 KNE 51.3 57 35 9 24 43 6.14 2 4 9.99 4.21 7.54 1995 BRV 65.7 87 36 10 18 51 4.93 3 4 11.92 2.47 6.99 1995 PME 67.3 82 45 14 32 61 6.01 2 5 10.96 4.28 8.15Impressive strikeout rates. If he can translate that into other impressive numbers, like ERA, he might be interesting. I doubt it will happen in 1996.
DAVE WEATHERS 1970 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 KNX 128.7 155 67 9 51 92 4.69 6 8 10.84 3.57 6.44 1991 TOR 14.3 19 10 1 17 16 6.28 1 1 11.93 10.67 10.05 1992 SYR 46.0 49 27 4 22 27 5.28 2 3 9.59 4.30 5.28 1993 EDM 131.7 150 70 17 49 103 4.78 6 9 10.25 3.35 7.04 1993 FLA 45.0 59 24 5 14 36 4.80 2 3 11.80 2.80 7.20 1994 FLA 134.3 164 74 13 60 74 4.96 6 9 10.99 4.02 4.96 1995 FLA 89.7 101 55 8 52 58 5.52 3 7 10.14 5.22 5.82A beneficiary of the lack of pitching in the Marlins' system in their first two years. Now that they have other options, Weathers may have to explore other options of his own.
MATT WHISENANT 1971 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 BAT 39.7 45 28 5 52 34 6.35 1 3 10.21 11.80 7.71 1992 SPA 134.3 146 94 23 102 99 6.30 4 11 9.78 6.83 6.63 1993 KNE 61.3 83 53 6 67 48 7.78 1 6 12.18 9.83 7.04 1994 BRV 148.3 162 100 18 95 90 6.07 5 11 9.83 5.76 5.46 1995 PME 120.7 125 63 12 69 91 4.70 5 8 9.32 5.15 6.79The Marlins were intrigued by his arm when they traded for him three years ago. The conversion from thrower into pitcher has been a slow one, but he made huge strides last year. He needs to take another big step forward, though, and his chances of doing so are iffy at best.